Course Summary

What makes you you? What governs the way you behave, and the way other people behave towards you? The answers aren’t always as clear cut as you might think, and our Psychological and Behavioural Science course for 19-25 year-old students will shed light on the complex workings of the human mind. This course will introduce you to a range of theories and how they attempt to explain human behaviour. What you learn will help you to better understand the world around you, enabling you to interpret the behaviour of others – as well as getting your head around what motivates you.

Where could Psychological & Behavioural Science lead you?

This summer course is designed to give students an overview of the topic areas studied in Psychology: Developmental Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, The Study of the Brain, and Personality Types in Psychology. A strong focus upon Cognitive (Working Memory) Psychology will be retained throughout the course.

These topics have been designed and chosen specifically to show students the wide range of applications that Psychology can have in the real world, and how these areas could be investigated through experimental and non-experimental investigations. Students will be presented with a series of research scenarios and will be asked to design their own investigations using the knowledge and methods that have been discussed during the course.

A distinction will be made regarding the types of research methods used in Psychology (quantitative and qualitative) and discussions will be had surrounding the appropriate use of each method. Students will use this knowledge to prepare both a written report and presentation which outline and evaluate a psychological investigation.

How will the Psychological & Behavioural Science course help me?

A key aspect of Psychology is following ethical guidelines whilst conducting research, as most studies use human participants. The summer course is designed to highlight the importance of ethical procedures and what can happen if procedures are not followed accordingly. Students will be provided with examples of when ethical considerations need to be made, in both adult and developmental contexts.

It is important too, to consider the historical and contemporary place Psychology holds as discipline. Class excursions to sites such as Bethlem and the Freud Museum in London will provide a critical socio-historical angle to the discipline, allowing students to explore the age-old debate: is Psychology an art or a science? Students will also engage with the practical side of the discipline via project-based empirical work.

A final aim of the course is to present students with details about both educational and employment prospects. They will be able to explore the career opportunities that can develop from studying Psychology, holding discussions with current PhD students on how their career path has started to develop. We aim to show students the wide range of career opportunities a Psychology course can bring, including roles in academic, clinical and research departments.

Is this course for me?

If you are interested in what makes people who they are, and would like to explore the subject in-depth, then this course is for you. Students will have access to theoretical and practical research materials, to help them gain a thorough understanding of the subject at hand.

Topics covered

During this course, students will examine:

Working memory and the brain

Statistics in psychology

SPSS in psychology

Developmental psychology

Theories of attachment

Writing up psychological research

Quantitative and qualitative research methods

Ethics in psychology

Abnormal psychology

Designing an experiment

Life after a psychology qualification

What will you get out of the Psychological and Behavioural Science course?

By the end of the course, students will have:

Explored a variety of relevant theories of psychology

Taken part in experiments and research projects

Examined different research methods and how best to record their findings

Discussed what it means to work in the field of psychology and explored their future options

Welcome to the City of Oxford - your home this summer

Oxford is a city like no other, combining startlingly beautiful architecture with a buzzing, modern city centre, with superb shopping, restaurants, cafés and more. With the colleges of Oxford University at its heart, some almost 800 years old, it is a city steeped in history and academia.

Students on Oxford Royale's Oxford summer courses will have the chance to live, dine and study in this stunning city, exploring all of its major sites and discovering its hidden secrets. Through both organised trips to key landmarks and free time in the evenings, students will become acquainted with all that Oxford has to offer.

As students walk the cobbled streets and gaze up at the spires, gargoyles and honey-coloured stone buildings, they will be walking in the footsteps of some of the most influential figures in history, including prime ministers, presidents, nobel prize-winning scientists, authors and more.

Sample Timetable

Useful information for students

Accommodation

Students will be accommodated in comfortable single rooms in either Merton or University College, depending on the course chosen - please contact our registrations team if you would like more information. Accommodation is the standard accommodation for university undergraduates who study at the university, so students are able to get a flavour for what being an undergraduate at the university might be like.Bathrooms are typically shared between students of the same gender, though in some cases en-suite facilities are available.

Programme Staff

The programme is overseen by the Programme Director, who implements the day-to-day running of the programme. The Director is assisted by a team of Counsellors who very often are current members of the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge and are able to provide an insight into life at these prestigious institutions.

Eligibility & pre-requisites

Students on this course:

Must conform to our age policy.

Must be fluent or near-fluent English language speakers – if you are unsure whether your English level is suitable for this programme, please contact our Registrations Team on admin@oxford-royale.co.uk and they will be able to assist you.

Must be able to fulfil the basic requirements of the programme, in terms of attendance at lessons, meals and events. Please contact our Registrations Team for more detailed information.

Oxford Royale Academy is a part of Oxford Programs Limited, UK company number 6045196. The company contracts with institutions including Oxford University for the use of their facilities and also contracts with tutors from those institutions but does not operate under the aegis of Oxford University.